Heavy head during meditation

My head feels tight and heavy immediately after the meditation. Is this normal?

Andy's answer:

You’ll be pleased to know that this kind of sensation is quite common and typically nothing to worry about at all. Needless to say though, if you do have any concerns it’s best to contact your doctor to check, if only for peace of mind.

But from a meditation perspective this is simply tension. We all carry tension and it can manifest in many different ways. More often than not, the result of mental or emotional tension is some kind of physical tension. Sometimes we’re aware of the build up, whereas at other times it can creep up on us until we are suddenly aware that we have tight shoulders for example. But when we sit to meditate we become more aware of what’s going on in both body and mind and therefore more aware of the tension.

The good news is that this awareness is the beginning of the end. By that I mean in meditation we are creating the conditions to let go of tension and come to a place of ease. Awareness is just the first part of this. If we can allow the sensation to unravel in it’s own space and time, then we will naturally experience a shift in the sensation. For some this process is very quick, whereas for others it can be a lot slower. It is best not to expect any particular timeframe and instead simply become curious about the process instead.

As long as we approach the tension in an open and gentle way we really can’t go too far wrong.